Let's be real for a second. You probably bought a Nintendo Switch to play Breath of the Wild or Mario Odyssey. But then you saw it—that familiar yellow logo and Ryu’s determined stare. Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers on the Switch is an oddity in the modern gaming landscape. It’s basically a polished version of a game that came out when Bill Clinton was just starting his first term. Yet, it sits there on the eShop, often at a premium price, beckoning anyone who has ever felt the satisfaction of a perfectly timed Shoryuken.
Most people assume this is just a quick cash grab by Capcom. Honestly, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
The Weird History of Street Fighter 2 Switch
When the Switch launched in 2017, Capcom needed something fast. They took the bones of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix from the PS3/Xbox 360 era and gave it a Nintendo-flavored makeover. This wasn't just a port. They added Evil Ryu and Violent Ken, which sounded like something a middle-schooler would invent in a fan-fiction forum, but they actually play quite differently. Violent Ken, specifically, is a nightmare with his teleportation dashes.
The game also introduced "Way of the Hado." This is a first-person motion control mode where you wave Joy-Cons around to throw fireballs. It’s... well, it’s not great. In fact, it's pretty janky. But it shows that Capcom was trying to figure out what the Switch could actually do. They even threw in a digital art book that contains over 250 pages of high-resolution illustrations, which, for a nerd like me, is actually the best part of the package.
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Graphics: UDON vs. Pixels
One of the biggest debates among the fighting game community (FGC) is the art style. You’ve got the choice between the "New Graphics" by UDON Entertainment and the "Classic Graphics."
The UDON stuff looks crisp on a modern TV. It’s sharp, colorful, and high-definition. But it feels a bit "Flash game-y" to some purists. The animations don't always line up perfectly with the hitboxes because the original game was designed for low-resolution sprites. On the flip side, the classic pixel art is gorgeous, though it’s presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio with borders. Switching between them is a trip. It's like jumping through a time machine.
Why the Pro Controller is a Problem
Playing Street Fighter 2 Switch with a standard Pro Controller is an exercise in frustration. The D-pad on the Pro Controller is notoriously mushy. You’ll try to throw a Hadouken and end up jumping forward like a confused frog. Serious players usually opt for an 8BitDo controller or a dedicated arcade stick like the 8BitDo Arcade Stick for Switch.
If you're playing handheld? Use the directional buttons on the left Joy-Con. It’s not ideal, but it’s precise. You won’t get those accidental diagonals that ruin your combos.
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Technical Nuance: The Competitive Reality
Is this the "definitive" version of Street Fighter 2? Probably not.
Competitive players usually stick to Super Street Fighter II Turbo (ST) on arcade hardware or via the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. The Switch version, Ultra, makes some balance changes that purists hate. For example, you can now tech throws. In the original arcade game, if someone grabbed you, you took the damage. Period. In the Switch version, you can soften the blow by inputting a throw command at the same time. This changes the high-level "grappler" meta significantly.
Zangief players aren't happy about it. But for casual players? It makes the game feel much less "cheap."
The Hidden Depth of Violent Ken and Evil Ryu
Let's talk about these two "new" characters.
- Violent Ken: He’s faster than regular Ken. His "Rasetsu Kyaku" dash allows him to pass through opponents and projectiles. It’s a literal game-changer. He’s a glass cannon—high mobility, high damage, but he can’t take a hit.
- Evil Ryu: He’s basically Ryu with Akuma’s move set. He has the Teleport and the Raging Demon. Like Violent Ken, his health is lower than the standard roster.
The inclusion of these characters makes the tier list a mess, but it keeps the 30-year-old formula feeling fresh. It’s chaotic. It’s fun.
The Online Experience
Let's talk about the netcode. It isn't rollback. If you’re used to the buttery smooth experience of Street Fighter 6 or Guilty Gear Strive, playing Street Fighter 2 Switch online might feel like walking through molasses if your opponent has a bad connection.
However, when you find a match with a "4-bar" connection, it's remarkably solid. There’s a dedicated community of veterans who hang out in the ranked lobbies. You will get destroyed. You will see people who have been practicing the same Guile combos since 1992. It's humbling.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Version
A common complaint is the price. Capcom famously launched this at $40. People lost their minds. "How can a game from the 90s cost $40?" they asked.
The value isn't just in the code. It's in the convenience. Having a pixel-perfect (or HD-upscaled) version of Street Fighter 2 that you can play on a plane, in a doctor's office, or at a bar with "tabletop mode" is the selling point. It’s the ultimate "icebreaker" game. You hand a Joy-Con to a friend, and suddenly it's 1994 again. You don't need to explain the controls. Everyone knows how to play Street Fighter.
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Actionable Steps for New Players
If you’ve just downloaded the game or are thinking about it, don’t just dive into Ranked matches. You’ll hate it.
- Fix your settings: Go into the options and turn off "Lite" controls. Lite controls allow people to map special moves to a single button. It’s fine for kids, but it ruins the competitive integrity of the game. You don't want to lose to a guy who is spamming one-button Flash Kicks.
- Check the Art Book: Seriously. If you paid for the game, look at the "Gallery." It’s a massive archive of Capcom history that is rarely mentioned in reviews.
- Calibrate your Joy-Cons: If you are determined to use the "Way of the Hado" motion controls, make sure you are in a well-lit room and recalibrate the sensors in the Switch system settings. It helps, though only a little.
- Color Editor: One of the best features is the ability to create custom colors for your characters. You can make a "Zombie Ryu" or a "Neon Pink Chun-Li." These colors even carry over to online play.
Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers is a weird, expensive, beautiful relic. It’s a bridge between the arcade glory days and the modern era of portable gaming. It’s not perfect—the motion controls are a gimmick and the netcode is dated—but the core gameplay loop remains one of the most satisfying things in digital entertainment.
If you want to get serious, invest in a Brook Converter or a dedicated fight stick. If you just want to throw some fireballs on your lunch break, the Joy-Cons will do just fine. Just don't expect to beat the guys who have been playing as Guile since the Bush administration. They're still here, and they're still waiting for you to jump.
To get the most out of your experience, start by mastering the "training mode" to see how the HD hitboxes differ from the classic sprites. Then, find a local community or a Discord server; the Switch's built-in friend system isn't great for building a rivalry, but the legacy of this game is all about the people you play against. Give the "Buddy Battle" mode a try too—it's a 2-on-1 coop mode that’s surprisingly great for teaching a friend the basics without them getting frustrated by losing.